Review of NEU Women’s conference 16-18th October 2026 Louise Whittle (Name above refers exclusively to the account used to post this article and is not attribution)
Recently I was honoured to be welcomed at the first women’s conference held by our wonderful National Education Union. Having realised the significance of this momentous occasion, I journeyed to Birmingham with child-like excitement. I was not disappointed. Upon arrival the animated anticipation of over three hundred women was palpable. Colleagues chatting, members meeting for the first time, speakers and congregation mingling. I knew that this was not simply a gathering of females, it was evidently a meld of ideas, stories, experience and most importantly power. We were coming together to make a mark!
The fabulously unique, Helen Reed, opened as chair of the Women’s Organising Forum. With candy pink hair and fuchsia glasses, her effervescence started the conference with dynamic force, highlighting; “this is an important moment for our union.” Following the welcome, we heard from several speakers sharing their wealth of knowledge on racism, colonialism, LGBTQI+, union activists… the fight for basic rights in the workplace. It became clear that we had all come together to listen, share and connect, to build relationships and collectivise with a central focus on making change. A demographic long since oppressed and dismissed, now rising with louder voices than ever, a call to arms against the patriarchy. As our union leader, Daniel Kebede stated “This is not just a conference for you, it is because of you. This is yours.”
During the two-day event we listened to powerful testimonies of personal and professional battles, progress and transformation. Behind all of these were women that would not take no for an answer, would not to be diminished, women who would not give up. Krystal Murrell-Bourke being the embodiment of this. As the woman who put forward the motion for the women’s conference, a woman who had found herself compelled to push for a change, a woman who had only been active in the union for a short amount of time, reminded us; “Surround yourself with like-minded women because when women come together like this, we become unstoppable and wonderful things happen.”
Personally, I was gripped by the research surrounding misogyny in education. Charlotte Ovie shared; “We are looking at misogyny, sexism and homophobia spreading at a rate we have never seen before.” Frighteningly, we are seeing statistics such as 9 out of 10 girls reporting that they are regularly exposed to explicit photos and videos. In the ‘Women and Equalities Committee Report’, Ofsted concluded that “school leaders should assume they had a problem with sexual harassment and sexual abuse, even with no reported incidents”. The “It’s not ok” toolkit has been produced to educate and combat misogyny and sexual violence against women and girls, highlighting the need to tackle this at the basal roots and putting a stop to the normalisation of sexist and degrading language and behaviour. Accepting and tolerating the rape jokes, name calling and “boys will be boys” attitude only gives rise to the next levels of harm- upskirting, stalking, sexual coercion and ultimately rape and murder. WAVES founder Mika, eloquently stated; “The perpetrators of tomorrow are on our registers today.”
There is so much work still to be done around maternity matters, menopause and challenging pay barriers and the lack of senior positions for women- Debra Beale, president shared; “women are 75% of the workforce, we’re not carrying 75% of the leadership positions”. Whilst the union are clearly working incredibly hard, there is a level of treading water, where we still continue to push progress forward.
Throughout the weekend the phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants” was resounding. Paying respects to those that walked before us, the oppressed that fought to revolutionise, and taught future generations not to be silenced. This was represented on each table with photographs of empowering women; Harriet Tubman, the legendary American activist liberating over seventy enslaved people. Una Marson, the Jamaican activist and writer who became the first black woman to be employed by the BBC. Lakshmi Sahgal, a doctor and activist who commanded an all-female combat unit to bring freedom to India, from British colonial rule. Irena Sendler, a courageous polish woman who saved over 2,500 Jewish children during the holocaust. The gratitude towards these inspirational women was bountiful and their fight and successes celebrated. However, it was not lost on me that the women standing up in front of us in that moment, the accidental activists, were themselves a powerhouse. Those keeping the fire of progress burning and dismantling barriers, are themselves, the modern matriarchal monoliths!
